Coal could be making a comeback.

Of course, this will greatly help the job market and economy of states like Kentucky and West Virginia, especially in our region. Southwestern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky have long been known for producing high-quality, low-sulfur coal.

On Tuesday, April 8, at 3 p.m., President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating coal as a critical mineral. This will help the United States meet the energy requirements. The executive order emphasizes coal mining rights on federal land, boosting coal-fired power plants and accelerating the export of the country’s coal.

The coal-fired power plants can reopen, at least the ones that still exist and were not converted to natural gas. This is also great for the steel industry, which relies on coal to fire up their plants to make metal and iron.

Not only will this open up and bring back coal mining jobs, but the residual effect will be fantastic. For every coal mining job, there are 10 related jobs that support the industry.

We know coal mining jobs are good, high-paying occupations for those brave souls who mine the mineral. Those jobs have helped many support their families for many years.

I think most of us can remember the coal “booms” of the past when this area was producing tons of coal and how great the economy was for the Mountain State and Bluegrass State.

Like I have said in the past, it is a domino effect.

The increase in coal production can bring back coal truck drivers and railroad workers who haul the coal. (Just look at the local rail yard in Williamson. It used to be lined with coal cars full of “black gold.” But now, when you drive by it, you are lucky to see one train parked with hoppers full of coal.)

Mining coal will bring back jobs at machine shops, mine supply companies and other industry-related support areas.

The increase in coal production will bring back more coal severance money to counties like Mingo, Martin, Pike and more. This tax money can be used to help with the public school systems and perhaps there will be more teaching jobs and other occupations in the schools.

Tax money can also help with infrastructure like water and sewage.

I am sure you are driving over and around potholes this spring. Maybe the extra tax funds can help with road repairs and paving.

We know in the past that the coal companies made donations to local high school sports teams and other nonprofit organizations.

To steal a line from the website CoalHardTruth.com, “Coal continues to be one of the most abundant, affordable, and dispatchable forms of energy in the world. It remains a vital component in the making of steel, cement, fertilizers, and thousands of other products essential to our quality of life.”

We know coal is used to produce electricity and in steel factories. But it also has many more uses.

This comes from the same website I mentioned earlier. “Aside from its obvious use to generate electricity, coal and coal-derived compounds are necessary for producing many essential products we use every day. From steel and cement to components of water filtration and fertilizers, thousands of products are produced with the assistance of coal—either for its carbon, as an upstream material, or as a source of heat in the manufacturing process.”

The site also states that “innovators are taking advantage of coal’s unique chemistry to develop high-performance materials for aerospace, military, battery storage, construction and other high-technology applications.”

Whether you support the Trump administration or not, this is something citizens in Appalachia should get behind.

Our economies have always been dependent on coal and have helped keep this country running. We also export coal around the world. There are plenty of coal-fired power plants in China, India, Indonesia and other countries. They need good coal like we have in our mountains. So we can export much of the coal if they are allowed to mine it without ridiculous restrictions.

The coal we have in our mountains and hills can keep not only this country going but also the world.

This recent executive order is a great legal instrument for our region.

Let’s hope this is another great comeback for coal—a black gold revival.

Until next time.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)